The Fifty-second Republic - Beware of Education’s ides of March

[StaffRepFeistyClub]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders, and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

Do not give the staffroom password to non-staff as it attracts the wrong sort of crowd.

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation. Do not sit on the chairs and do wear a mask.

David Perks is the HT who said he wouldn’t allow masks in his school isn’t he? Which is, hilariously, a Science school (never heard of it).

How did I miss that (not a Dr) Gillian Mckeith signed the letter? The woman who made a career digging through people’s poo on TV?

I bet he makes a brilliant primary teacher.

He’ll be fucking Head in 5 years. Men! 😆

I'm not sure I even see the point of testing, to be honest. By all accounts, they're less than 50% accurate, and the kids can easily refuse to participate.
But I suppose it forms part of the narrative that schools are "safe."
I've used this analogy before, but it's a bit like hoping that taking regular pregnancy tests will help stop pregnancies.

All this focus on false positives in the media? Where were the headlines when the false negatives were a concern??

Well, piggy, that's because false negatives don't suit the narrative.

A more measured article here:

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/mar/05/schools-ventilation-and-testing-will-be-key-in-englands-big-bang-reopening

[quote Piggywaspushed]A more measured article here:

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/mar/05/schools-ventilation-and-testing-will-be-key-in-englands-big-bang-reopening[/quote]
Will definitely need that sledgehammer.

I will never say the word narrative again, I promise.

Except maybe specifically when teaching it.

I'm not sure I even see the point of testing, to be honest

If they were accurate and well attended, it would be really useful. The government doesn't want to admit that they're bobbins because they spent a billion pounds on them.

Narrative should definitely be used in the context of what makes headlines and what doesn't. It's bloody obvious.

@noblegiraffe

I'm not sure I even see the point of testing, to be honest

If they were accurate and well attended, it would be really useful. The government doesn't want to admit that they're bobbins because they spent a billion pounds on them.

My BF is a sonographer. She take 2 LFs a week and now a ‘spit’ test. She’s so in favour of regular testing as she’s seen how positive it can be. She also recognises it only works alongside others measures - PPE is was she swears is the reason she hasn’t CIA ugh to the virus despite working on ‘hot’ wards.

*caught

Cheers staff.

New headline on BBC live - ‘parents urged to follow Covid rules on school run’.

It really is an ‘all back to school’ attack.

@noblegiraffe

Narrative should definitely be used in the context of what makes headlines and what doesn't. It's bloody obvious.

See. Secret English teacher.

@Piggywaspushed

Yay! Thanks staff.

The Times today reports on the pressure groups trying to spread misinformation and fears about masks and tests. It doesn't name the group. We all know it's U4T who you use for rent a quote shite Times! Just own it!

I have actually popped into the staff room to ask if anyone else has seen today's Times?

Frankly, I'm fucking livid!!! Page 19 has 3 stories all portraying teachers in an incredibly negative light. One about a student with dyslexia who had a hideous time at school and was bullied by a teacher, one about schools 'failing' to resolve parking issues outside schools in the rush hours and one total non-story about a Head who called Greta Thunberg troublesome.

I mean, WTAF????! All total non-stories just taking a swipe at teachers.

The Times is now down there with the Daily Mail in my estimation. 😡😡😡😡😡

one total non-story about a Head who called Greta Thunberg troublesome.

Katharine Birbalsingh. She's pretty pissed off about it as they completely misrepresented her.

So concocting stories to put teachers in a bad light on top of everything else.

Secret English teacher.

.

You were ticked off for your over-use of narrative, weren’t you, Piggy?

That’s a very useful thread but it turns stern and humourless very quickly when it wants to.

All total non-stories just taking a swipe at teachers.

My theory is that many bright (but not as bright as they think they are) and annoying kids with the right connections get jobs at newspapers in order to slag off the Establishment, and teachers in particular, because their brilliance was viewed with scepticism by their teachers.
I find it irritating but have a sneaking sympathy with them as I was a truly obnoxious teenager. I only accidentally became a teacher.

I agree luckiest although I didn't mind the dyslexia one so much. He does fulsomely praise his TAs and there definitely is a narrative in education about underperforming black boys.

The other two.: Yeah annoying. Plus the placed ad in the middle by the DfE!

Did KB not call all non Conservatives 'lefties' then? Because that really annoyed me.

Thanks staff

From what was quoted in the Times it looks like she said there are loads of lefties in schools and not many conservative-thinking people, which is true.

My theory on the 'lefties in school' thing is that it's a self fulfilling phropecy. No mega Conservative trying to make loads of money is going to become a teacher (unless their endgame is MAT CEO). Most teachers have a selfless streak which is part of the reason they became teachers.

As for journos and school newspaper articles, we could probably all tell at least one story of some part of our school experience that wasn't satisfactory. This doesn't mean the whole thing was a waste of time and all teachers are crap. Saying that wouldn't sell papers though.